Home » Culture » How SMEs can utilise video for their recruitment efforts

How SMEs can utilise video for their recruitment efforts

by Startacus Admin

Recruiting for startups, small businesses and medium enterprises can be a challenge in the current economic climate. Video gives you that much needed boost to help your organisation stand out from a very intense crowd.

Gone are the days of dreary job listings demanding a set of requirements, candidates are often drawn in by a multitude of targeted approaches; video content plays a crucial part in the process. They create interest and intrigue around a business and ultimately, encourage people to learn more and hopefully submit applications and CVs!

Recruitment videos need to be done right

Recruitment videos that have stiff acting, awkwardly forced corridor chats and false impressions of a business (of any size) always backfire when the candidate does further investigation. A job role is as much an investment from the business as it is the candidate, ensure your video is genuine, if you have a small personal team, that’s an advantage and not something to brush over. The right candidates can thrive in small environments, therefore your video should propose this in a positive light. Think of it as a testimonial of your business from your employees, this makes really enjoyable content for people to watch and helps people identify what they may be able to achieve working for you.

Focus on the company culture

These type of recruitment videos are often referred to as ‘culture videos’ because they are short films that highlight the businesses atmosphere and ethics. A famous example, often referred to because of its simplicity and authenticity is Twitter’s ‘The Future is You’ recruitment video. Something simple is achievable for SMEs, but the point is not to hide away from your small aspect. Perhaps you could do a ‘Day in the life of’ for an intern or new recruit, they could even vlog it themselves to make it truly authentic. Recruitment videos are often inauthentic and the real, emotive videos stand out because of this. The following are a few examples of shots you can do to show the right type of culture;

Employee interviews (talking heads)

Company bonding activities

Work with clients (providing it’s approved)

Real people, going about their day to day lives

Incorporate it onto the website

This video needs to live on your website to have maximum impact, perhaps on a jobs page or even the homepage to let as many users know as possible that you are hiring. For this reason, it needs to look good. There’s no reason that SMEs shouldn’t work with video production companies as they can often be small businesses themselves! Look for companies that have case studies and examples of their work on their website as this might even give you an idea of the kind of video you want for your business.

Social media boosts recruitment

If you’re looking for younger people and graduates, potentially hitting Facebook may work for your recruitment drive. However if you’re after individuals with more experience, typically LinkedIn is going to be more effective. This is the same notion if you’re putting budget behind these videos or leaving them to the mercy of organic social algorithms.

These videos can be pinned to the top of your social media pages so they are the first thing users see when they check out your brand. On top of being a great recruitment tool, they act as a mini advertisement too! The videos should be short and snappy and could be segments taken from your larger recruitment video to entice users to take a look, learn more about your company and also apply! If you’re a one person organisation, discuss the type of work you do, who you are looking for and the advantages of coming on board with you.

Email marketing is an added bonus

If you’re a larger SME, remember to use the video in your email marketing campaigns, too. It’s on your website, social media and now directly in potential candidate’s inboxes. A link to YouTube is fine, or you can incorporate a video player directly into the newsletter, check your email marketing template to see what’s possible.

Ultimately, your recruitment video can drive people to want to work with you so it’s integral to be truthful, yet engaging. Get some creative help from friends and colleagues and of course, video production companies. Many will be happy to talk you through your idea from a tiny spark to a full blown production process. Video is expected in the recruitment process in 2018. Don’t be afraid to try something different, but beware it could go very wrong like the Australian Department of Finance video.

Writer Bio

Ben Newth is the founder of Reel Media, a creative video production company based in the heart of Nottingham.

If you like this startup and recruitment focused article, you might also want to read: